You're My Crack Of Sunlight
by Moliver
Summary: Sequel to 'You Make Me Beautiful'. Mitchie and Shane have broken up and have to prepare to tour together and sing love songs together on stage every night. Mitchie is heart broken and is still suffering with her inner-demons, whilst Shane has seemingly moved on. Now everyone knows her as Shane Gray's ex...not Mitchie Torres.
1. Chapter 1

Hello my loyal readers!

I know it's been a while. Life has gotten in the way and i've suffered a couple losses in my family so haven't had a chance to really focus on much until recently. Now i'm in a better place, I am 100% back to getting this story up.

I have had a few chapters written back before the first story in the series ended. It's funny for me to go back and read this. Mitchie's heart break continues right from where we left off. It's funny because i've been left heart broken recently and I don't know how I feel about how I wrote Mitchie being heart broken prior to me experiencing that myself. Purely because I cannot explain in words how heart break truly feels.

I may re-write now accordingly the next couple chapters.

I hope you enjoy this, here is the first chapter of You're My Crack Of Sunlight.

This is the sequel to my earlier story, You Make Me Beautiful.

* * *

**One**

Mitchie was floating. Floating in limbo between the reality that was her life and the life that included all the fame.

She was numb.

Miles from home on a private jet somewhere over the South Pacific Ocean, she is trying her best to get her thoughts in order. Trying her best to hold it all together for the South American portion of the tour because she couldn't let her fans down.

A crack of sunlight streams through the window across her face and she slams the shutter down and brings her knees up to her chest. It was still odd this lifestyle. It was all America and the rest of the world saw her as though...Mitchie Torres.

Correction. They all saw her as Shane Gray's girlfriend who sang. And the mere thought that Shane was no longer her boyfriend makes her want to cry. Feeling the tears sting in her eyes, she buries her face into a pillow and tries to drown out Caitlyn and Brown's conversation.

She's more than relieved that they both won't mention his name, that they won't ask about him right then and there where she had no where to escape. Brown was still trying to figure out what had happened but wouldn't press Mitchie for details. He didn't know what was going on, her eating disorder, the pregnancy scare or even the break up.

The only person she wanted approval from was him. She didn't need the world always commenting and judging her. The world could stop for all she could care as long as she had him. And she didn't and it still hurt so much more than she thought it ever could.

The diamond ring he gave her is still on her finger, she just couldn't bare to take it off just yet. It's like if she did it would make it real, like it would mean it really was over for good.

And after what feels like eternity, the plane lands and as Mitchie shoves her sunglasses on she really has no idea how the media will react to her down here, has no idea what to expect.

The fact that she only had received contact from Shane finally just before they were up in the air, feels like she's taken a bullet to the chest. It's like she's forgotten everything about him but nothing at the same time.

The airport is crazy as they pull in, there are fans absolutely everywhere and airport security has to usher her straight off the tarmac and through the back of the airport. Luckily her first show wasn't until the following night as she was exhausted.

She is ushered into a black van and swept off to her hotel she turns her phone back on and brings up the text message from Shane again.

_'I miss you too, but it's over.'_

Caitlyn is looking at her sadly and Mitchie cannot help herself, "Shane finally has messaged me." Hands Caitlyn her phone so she can read the message.

Sighing, Caitlyn hands it back to her a few seconds later, "Shane loves you. He will come to his senses."

Mitchie just isn't so sure.

Arriving at their hotel there is easily a couple hundred fans out the front behind barricades with security everywhere. How they knew the hotel, Mitchie had no idea. She hadn't even been told where she was staying. She just did this thing now as a celebrity where she shows up where she's taken.

Emerging from the van, there's this sea of screams from her fans and Mitchie approaches and signs for a few minutes before security pulls her away and ushers her inside.

It's crazy that they're all here just for her. And really it makes her feel a tiny bit better.

...

Arriving at the venue the next night, Mitchie lets out a huge sigh and she isn't sure if Caitlyn is just too scared to say something wrong or if she just doesn't know what to say. With her sunglasses on she makes her way into her dressing room and sits down at the mirror.

"Mitchie, did you want me to do your hair tonight?" Caitlyn asks, grabs out her curling iron.

She nods pathetically, afraid any words she says may result in her crying and she just sits there on her phone and stares at the background which is still of her and Shane. She hasn't been able to change it, hoping he'd call. Hoping he wanted to try again.

And she's still completely heartbroken but really, she's angry. Angry he won't talk to her, angry that he wouldn't fight for her.

The only people who knew about their break up was their immediate family and closest friends, they were the only ones who knew why she was barely able to function, why she couldn't help but want to just break down crying. The media knew none the wiser.

There's this silence in the air as Caitlyn curls a strand of her hair and she knows already that Shane hasn't said much to anyone but Nate, just that she needed to get better, that she had to put things into perspective. And she wants to, she really does.

She hasn't been sick since that awful morning she thought she was pregnant, when everything turned to hell. But she hasn't exactly been eating much at all. She hasn't had an appetite to.

"I don't know how it's going to be tonight. On stage singing songs about him." Mitchie finally speaks by the time Caitlyn is finished and Caitlyn just pauses, stares at her through the reflection in the mirror.

Caitlyn hugs her from behind, "You will be great out there tonight. If you cry on stage it'll just show everyone how amazing you are."

"If i'm crying through a break up song maybe, but not a love song."

"You do what you have to do. Be open with your fans if you think that's what is best."

By the time she's been raised up onto the stage an hour or so later she fakes a smile on her face, the first convincing one in the past couple weeks, microphone in hand as she belts out the notes to her opening song.

Burying the pain inside, she goes on and the crowd just lift her spirits completely. Have her feeling so overwhelmed and thankful only a few songs into her set. They knew none the wiser.

As a stage hand gives her, her guitar for the next song, she heads to a microphone in a stand at the centre of the stage and just takes in the audience for a moment before speaking, "Chile, this is my first ever time here and you have made me feel so welcome. I cannot thank you guys enough for changing my week, for lifting my spirits. Seeing you all out here tonight, singing along to my songs and dancing along really is just such an amazing feeling and I am so entirely grateful." She pauses for just a moment before continuing, "This next song I wrote about a relationship where the world just never let us be alone. It's currently tearing me apart now because I flew down here on my own...this is the first city that i've played since I got my heart broken and you guys have made me feel so much better."

And she's said it, it's out there for all to hear and will be on all the blogs within a matter of minutes she is sure. She starts to play the song as the audience almost deafens her and thanks god for the ear pieces in her ears, she begins to play and only lets a few tears fall.

She doesn't even care what her management will say.

…

The moment she's offstage, Brown is looking at her with this look on his face that makes her regret what she did.

"Love..." He trails off.

"I'm sorry, it just felt right." She excuses herself rather pathetically.

"As your manager i'm all for that...as Shane's uncle, not so much."

"I'm sorry." She repeats and is surprised when he hugs her.

"Things are going to be crazy now, I hope you're ready."

By the time she's back at her hotel, there are all these reports online suggesting she and Shane have ended their relationship. As soon as a video of her announcement at the concert surfaces online would confirm it.

Hot Tunes is reporting on their site that Shane has left her for one of his exes and as bad as it sounds, Mitchie doesn't care if people believe it.

The call from the label twenty minutes later freaks her out and she hesitantly answers it.

"It it true you and Shane have ended things?"

"Yes...and it was mutual decision. It just didn't work."

"It probably wasn't worth announcing it at a concert Mitchie, it probably would have been best if the two of you approached us so we could release a statement. I've had a call from Hot Tunes suggesting that Shane left you for someone else. I take it this isn't true?"

"No, it's not."

"Mitchie, I honestly am sorry to hear it."

Mitchie doesn't know if he is genuinely sorry or if he's sorry that they're no longer together because they were this young power couple together who sold music and filled seats in arenas for him.

"Thank you."

"Could you please release your own statement to clear up Shane hasn't done anything wrong? If he wasn't on our label i'd be all for the world believing what they want, but he's still signed to me."

And what is Mitchie supposed to say? No? She can't, so she agrees and thanks him again before hanging up the phone.

She messages Caitlyn telling her she needs company and it's a couple minutes later Caitlyn is at her door.

"I have to tweet to confirm the break up...not make Shane look like the bad guy in all this."

After typing a few messages into the notes section on her phone she finally decides on one and gives it to Caitlyn to approve.

"I'd like to clear some things up," Caitlyn reads aloud, "Shane and I have ended our relationship and it was a mutual decision. It didn't work out but we will remain friends as we initially were. Secondly, he definitely did not leave me for anyone else. I just thought you all should know this, my fans are everything to me and I want you to know the truth."

"Is it okay?" Mitchie asks.

"Considering the circumstances, yes." Caitlyn replies with a sad smile.

Hitting the button to send it to her five million fans, Mitchie switches her phone off and just lays in her bed unable to move for the night. Her mind won't switch off.

…

Mitchie has the next day off to travel to Colombia and do some touristy things with Caitlyn and Carrie. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't upset still, but she puts a smile on her face and tries to make the best of the situation.

After getting back to their hotel that night, she really is loving Columbia already for some reason. Getting ready for bed she has a shower and comes out to find Caitlyn looking at her cautiously.

"Just say it."

"It looks like Shane has had his orders too from the label. He's done a radio interview and of course it's on the internet now."

Mitchie sighs and tells her to play it, closes her eyes as Scott McDean (the radio host) introduces Shane.

"_Today we have Connect 3 in the studio with us. They will be heading off on a big European tour next month."_

The questions go on and sure enough Shane is asked about her.

"Shane, we're sorry to hear things didn't work out between you and Mitchie."

"Thank you. We were best friends before heading into a romantic relationship and right now I just care about our friendship. She's always been there for me and I will always be there for her. It obviously isn't going to be easy but I know we will get back to where we were before."

"And it must be hard the fact that you're going to be over in Europe touring together for a couple months together."

"It could have been better timing, but we are both professionals and I never ever want to lose Mitchie's friendship."

Mitchie hasn't even realised she was crying until Caitlyn hands her a tissue, "Thank you." She whispers.

And she honestly has no idea how she's supposed to deal being on tour with Shane and singing love songs with him in front of thousands. She's not entirely sure how she's going to be able to deal being around him and not being able to call him hers.

For what seems the longest time she sits by the hotel window, just gazing out at the sky. She's trying her best not to break down. She just feels so empty and so lost.

Finally she takes the ring from Shane off her finger and she immediately just feels naked.

Her heart was gone and she wasn't getting it back.

**What did you think? I've used some actual quotes from Demi herself in this chapter.**

**I hope you liked it and there is more to come!**

**Xox**


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry guys for the delay in updating this story.

Trying to get back into the swing of things!

* * *

**Two**

"Columbia, I am so in love with you right now. This next song is called 'Everytime You Lie' and is from my second album. The smartest thing a women can learn, is to never need a man. Are you guys ready?" Mitchie announces resulting in screams from the crowd.

She has this smile on her face as she dances on the stage to the intro of the music and before she knows what she is doing, she is changing the opening line of the song.

"Now you told me on a Tuesday, that it wasn't going to work." That horrible day where Shane and her broke up was on a Tuesday and she really didn't care if the world knew that, she could sing it out in song, she could actually let out her emotions to her fans.

By the time she's offstage for the night, Carrie has convinced her to go to some little club in the city alongside a bodyguard of course. Mitchie is apprehensive at first but ultimately is able to let her hair down, dance, drink and just have a good time for what seems like the first time in so long.

By the time they get back to the hotel, she's mentally counting down the hours until they have to leave for their flight to Brazil. She's highly intoxicated and wonders whether it's even worth sleeping.

Carrie sneaks her into her room and has to practically put her to bed and tuck her in. Mitchie just starts crying, actually crying in bed. She feels Carrie slip in beside her and wrap her arms around her to comfort her. But it doesn't matter, it's not Shane's arms trying to make things better.

…

She's majorly hungover at the venue in Brazil the following night. Having been sick unintentionally several times throughout the day, the last thing she wants to do is get on the stage to thousands of people. She has to perform there the following night as well and already she knows the next night's show will be a hundred times better.

By the time Mitchie is ready to go on stage, she is feeling slightly better. She's over-thinking things as she's waiting to be risen up on the riser onto the stage. She wants to change more words to her songs, more words so her fans can get where she is coming from. The internet had been going mental from her simply changing the day of the week in one song.

The crowd is the loudest she has ever heard. Brazil was crazy.

By the time she is onto her song 'Solo', she is so into it hearing the crowd screaming along the lyrics the loudest she's ever heard. She's strutting across the stage like she owns it after her first chorus as she begins the next verse.

"_You sing to me, too bad you couldn't even stay on key. If your life is such a mystery, why don't you just stick to tambourine?" _

She gives such a big grin, knowing this will end up online. And everyone knew, Shane always seemed to have a tambourine at some point during Connect 3 concerts. It was his thing.

She's on a complete high once she's off the stage and the rush is completely gone when she is back inside her hotel room with a notepad, scribbling down lyrics to a song.

She only wants the best for him, and she wasn't the best thing for him. She was completely stuck.

…

The following night she knows will be her final time on stage on tour before she has to join back up with Connect 3 for Europe. Back again with him. On stage singing love songs with him.

And really she's just doing her job. Putting on a smile. Putting on a smile to make people happy when inside she's dying of unhappiness.

It's when things really just hit her and she's on the couch in her dressing room just bawling her eyes out. She's completely inconsolable and knows she's due side-stage soon.

She's just full blown having a melt down, the tears won't stop and Caitlyn finds her like this at her absolute lowest of lows.

"Mitchie..." Caitlin trails off and Mitchie closes her eyes and rolls onto her side to face away from her. She hears Caitlyn leave, closing the door behind her.

It's a couple minutes later she hears the door open again and a hand on her back.

"Love, it's almost show time." Browns warm voice can't even sooth her like it normally does, she keeps crying and cannot catch her breath to talk to him.

She rolls back over to look at him through her watery eyes and can see the concern etched in his face.

"We can cancel the show if it's too much for you tonight..."

Really, it was the easy choice. But she couldn't do that to her fans who were already waiting to see her. She sits up right slowly and tries to control her breathing and notices Carrie and Caitlyn both standing in the doorway.

"Carrie, can you do my make up please?" She says softly, her voice breaking.

The walk backstage along the corridors feels like the longest one of her life twenty minutes later. Every step she just wants to turn around and make a mad dash back to the privacy of her dressing room.

But she had a job to do. People who depended on her for a pay check. Most importantly, she had her fans who she couldn't let down.

After being wired up and doing her huddle with her band and dancers she just starts crying again. Caitlyn whisks her off into one of the make shift costume changing areas under the stage and hugs her and tries to calm her down.

Somehow Mitchie gathers the strength and makes her way to the riser, microphone in hand and the screams completely consuming her.

She plasters a smile on her face and gets into position. Her fans would be none the wiser of what just happened, she gives it everything she's got and cries her eyes out performing her sadder songs.

...

By the time it's over, she's immediately on a flight back home and cannot be more glad. It's extremely early when she and Caitlyn get into their apartment. It looks exactly the same as when they left and really, Mitchie is glad to be able to sleep in her own bed.

She has an interview on a talk show the next night and she already knows it will be horrible. There was no way possible that Shane wouldn't be brought up.

There was no way she could get out of touring with him, she'd be sued. Her job was to put butts in seats for people to see her live. She was too much of a professional to try and break the contract.

She's silently sobbing into her pillow for a good hour before tweeting, tells her fans how much she loves them.

And before she knows it, she's asleep. Only to dream of him.

…

The next morning Caitlyn wakes her up late with a photo on her phone of some resort.

"What's this?" Mitchie yawns, rubs her eyes as she tries to focus on the photo.

"It's a resort in Mexico. We are going for a long weekend, this weekend. You need some time to yourself and to just relax." Caitlyn responds, tells her she only has a few days to pack.

The idea of going away on a mini vacation really is the pick-me-up Mitchie wants. No needs.

By the time the day is through, she is at the studio of the David Michael's Show. The producer has been chatting to her and as instructed by her label, no question is off limits. They don't want her to put Shane up in a negative-light, they want her to clear things up. They're mad at her, but she's making them a lot of money.

And Mitchie knows Shane is hurting, but she's hurting too. And she's the one who has to bear the weight of it all. Just another girl who had her heart broken by the 'player' that was Shane Gray.

Sure enough, as she is announced to the audience not too long later, she puts the biggest smile on her face she can muster. Waves at the crowd as she tries her best not to just break down in front of everyone.

"Mitchie!" David exclaims, giving her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down at his desk. She smiles wider and sits down on the couch besides him, crosses her legs and looks anywhere but at one of the many cameras pointed on her, "You've just finished off your South American tour last night and you're here with us already."

"I'm a very busy girl." She manages with a smile still etched on her face.

"If that's not enough you're on tour again in Europe in a month and a little birdy tells me that you may be releasing a new single from a potential new album already."

It was true, she had been in overdrive in the studio pouring her heart out and the fact was that she was selling like crazy. More so since Shane broke up with her.

"I may be in a few weeks actually, I still need to finalise things."

"You really have taken over the musical world on the charts, your talent says it all. I know the single will be a hit."

"Thank you." She smiles.

"I just wanted to say i'm sorry to hear about you and Shane. It's always sad when these things don't work out."

She knows he isn't just saying this because he's completely genuine, this interview would be seen by millions of people. It's like people were thriving of her and Shane's break up at the moment. For views, for ratings.

She takes a deep breath, "Yeah...it's just one of those things."

"To go through a break up in front of everyone must make it that much harder, I couldn't even try and imagine it."

"To be honest it sucks...you just feel completely naked."

"You guys had been dating since Camp Rock that summer where you two performed on television right?"

"He was my best friend prior to that actually and obviously i'm not close with him anymore just because a lot has happened and to be honest...it's just ouch right now."

She honestly has no idea how she hasn't managed to start break down crying. How she has managed to keep things together in front of everyone.

"So the two of you haven't talked." He concludes.

"Not really no, it'll take a little time and we'll get back to our friendship. He's a great guy and we will get there."

"Especially with you going on tour together in Europe shortly."

Mitchie wants to die right then and there, she wants to storm out of the interview right away. But she acts, it was becoming quite a recurrence in her life, pretending everything was fine when it most definitely was not.

"Yeah, touring in a foreign with your ex doesn't sound like the easiest thing. But i'm positive we will be okay."

"You're still young, unfortunately you will get your heart broken many times before finding that person you're meant to be with. I guess being a musician and writing songs is therapeutic."

"It really is," Mitchie agrees, still managing to keep her composure, "To write what I am feeling and going through and put it out there for people to listen to and relate to...it's just an overwhelming concept."

Leaving the studios once the show in finally over, Mitchie is greeted by many flashes and also fans outside waiting. She really doesn't want to stop, but does so anyway. Signs some autographs before being whisked off away and to the privacy of her bedroom.

She's tweeting the lyrics to a sad song and crying her eyes out again. She hasn't eaten since breakfast she realises but doesn't care, her appetite was gone for the day.

...

The next morning the first thing she does is make a last minute appointment at her salon. By noon she is blonde, completely blonde.

Shane loved her hair dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

It's two weeks until the tour and Mitchie has managed to rush out a single called 'Skyscraper' which will be on the new album. She didn't write the song but the label had it up their sleeve and she instantly felt a connection to it once hearing the demo and had to have it. Her label pumped it out the second they could and Mitchie was overwhelmed by the positive reaction her fans were giving her.

Tour rehearsals had already started but so far she didn't have to rehearse at all with Connect 3, their schedules were different. She knew the next week she'd have to start rehearsing with them. Shane and her would be singing 'This Is Me' again. The fact this was happening made Mitchie just want to breakdown, break her contract and get off the tour. But she knew she couldn't. She couldn't do that to her fans and hell, she wouldn't do that to her fans legal consequences aside.

It's after doing a day-time talk show promoting the song and the tour that she has to head off to rehearse with her dancers and decide on wardrobe as well. Driving there herself she hears her song on the radio once turning it on. She lets out a small smile and really, it's the only real smile she's broken out in a while. Even though it is only a small one.

Arriving at rehearsals she walks in to find Nate still there clearly waiting for Caitlyn. Mitchie is immediately rushed into wardrobe by the tour's costume designer only to be shown all different items she could wear on stage. Her mind is a blur and she wonders if Shane is still in the building or not. If being rushed away in how she was is a distraction, because really this tour relied on the two of them to be able to work together and she was sure the tour manager didn't want the two of them together until it was absolutely necessary.

As she tries to focus on the task at hand, her mind just keeps wandering and Mitchie wonders what Shane thinks of her hair. He would have seen it all over the media, all over the television. Even as a blonde though, she doesn't feel beautiful. Even if she was to go full on platinum blonde, she's sure she still wouldn't feel beautiful.

The rehearsal goes well and she cannot help herself as she goes to leave, pulls out her phone and messages Shane even though deep down she knows he won't reply.

_'I miss you and hope you're doing okay.'_

She's due to meet her mother out for dinner in West Hollywood and of course there are paparazzi out the front as she arrives. She has checked her phone about twenty times on the short drive over just in case on some off chance that Shane has decided to write back. And really, it makes her want to cry. It makes it harder to breathe that he could dismiss her like that after everything they went through together that he could read what she wrote and still not respond.

Like clock work, paparazzi are there as she gets out her car and hands the keys to the valet. Some how, they always seems to know where she is, where she's going and even where her family will be.

And the cameras are there and she just has to put on a smile. A facade.

She's dying on the inside but has to pretend everything is fantastic, pretend she isn't dying inside when she really is. But that's the business, that's what she's signed herself up for.

And to be completely honest with herself, Mitchie knows that they aren't buying her smile they are just taking her shot to make money of the poor little Mitchie Torres, another left heart broken by Connect 3 frontman, Shane Gray.

Reaching her mum inside, Mitchie hugs her tightly and they sit down at the table that's not as secluded as she had hoped for.

"How are you?"

"Okay." Mitchie answers meekly, hoping she doesn't sound as pathetic as she feels.

Over the course of dinner, she knows her mum is simply trying to distract her from her thoughts but in some stupid unexplainable way, it makes her think about Shane even more. She remembers all the times the three of them would sit and talk over a meal.

"How's tour rehearsal going? Have you seen..." And she trails off. Like Shane's name is taboo. As if she doesn't say it, that it won't hurt.

"It's going good." Mitchie dismisses it. Finishes off her whole meal as she's starving.

By the time they leave, the paparazzi outside have grown in numbers. She pauses before heading out even though the valet have brought her car out and it's waiting for her. Her mum kisses her on the cheek before heading out first to her own car and Mitchie wishes that this side of fame didn't exist. That grown men couldn't shout things at her and shove cameras in her face and make money out of it.

Trying to take a deep breath, she steps outside and all they are all throwing Shane's name at her. It throws her off balance just a little. Although she could put that down to the continuous flashing of their lightbulbs.

Driving home she can see she is being followed back to her apartment building. Sighing, she pulls in the underground car park and makes her way to the elevator. Only to be greeted by Caitlyn with a huge hug the second she walks in the door. Nate is on the couch with his guitar, messing around with some chords and she kisses him on the cheek from behind.

"Hey Mitchie."

"How was your rehearsal?"

"Full on. We had to go pretty much straight to the Mick and Mindy radio show right after for promo. You know, the usual." Mitchie isn't sure if this is a lie or no that he's telling just for her sake, to make her feel better. But she appreciates what he is trying to do.

After some small talk Mitchie excuses herself and goes to her room. Brings up the Mick and Mindy website to find the Connect 3 interview.

She listens as she gets ready for bed and freezes when she is brought up.

"Mitchie Torres' new song 'Skyscraper'. Who is that about Shane?"

"I wouldn't know but I think the song is great." That familiar voice replies. And just like that she holds her breath and closes her eyes.

"So there's no way possible it's about you?"

"I don't think so, I think it's more about what she's being personally going through...adapting to this lifestyle." He adds quickly, "I'm really happy for her."

Shane of course knew it was about more than just the lifestyle. He knew it was about personal struggles too.

She cries, just really cries. The floor of her bedroom has been a familiar place the past couple weeks. She curls up in a ball and listens to Nate's voice from her laptop.

"Mitchie is the most talented musician I know and I cannot wait to tour with her in Europe. She's a hell of a performer."

She wishes that she didn't have to see him everywhere without actually even seeing him in person. He was currently the most famous member in a band and even if she wanted to escape him, she couldn't.

There's something inside her that just keeps praying he will come back to her, that he will call her up or just burst into her bedroom at any moment. That he will sweep her off her feet and hold her and never let go again.

She doesn't want to face the reality that, that might not happen.

…

Mitchie's at the studio recording a couple songs for the new album the next day. They're songs she'd be working on and she's got a floodgate of tears by the time she's done.

Brown is there and she knows the whole break up puts him in a rather difficult position. He's Shane uncle, but he's her manager. He cares about her but ultimately Shane is his own flesh and blood.

He gives her a quick hug as she leaves the recording booth, "You did great, love."

"Thanks." She says rather quietly.

"The label have moved up your press conference for the tour, they were able to rearrange some thing. It'll be on Friday now, they are helping it'll sell what little remaining tickets are left before you all head on over."

She had no idea how to mentally prepare herself to see Shane in the flesh again, especially under these circumstances.

...

Arriving at the press conference later that week she is ushered backstage and her heart drops into the pit of her stomach when she sees him. Shane is standing there on the other side of the room with Danny Thomas, the President of Hollywood Records.

His eyes wander over to hers for a split second and Mitchie is frozen to the spot. Nate jumps up from mid conversation with someone in a suit on a nearby couch and immediately heads over to her and gives her a huge hug.

"He's just as nervous as you are." He whispers in her ear. She lets out a big breath and smiles in appreciation.

"I don't want to put you in the middle, Nate."

"Well, for right now you're going to have to. I'll sit between the two of you. Who ever set out the place cards on the table with their names obviously thought they'd try and have some fun. I was out there a little earlier." He laughs that light-hearted laugh of his and she is so thankful to him. So thankful that he hasn't taken sides, that he can still have the exact same relationship with her. It's made them closer if anything.

She gazes over at Shane again and he seems a little bit overly transfixed in conversation. Danny Thomas would not be impressed at all if he found out they weren't talking, wouldn't be impressed that Shane could treat her this way. His record label was his livelihood, Connect Three and herself were his top artists. He looked after them.

"I've missed you!" She hears Jason exclaim, wraps his arms around her from behind.

Jason and her hadn't spoken so much since the break up. It wasn't that he was taking sides she knew, it was just that he didn't seem to be handling it as well as Nate was.

"I've missed you too, Jase."

"You know the best thing you can do right now is to just go up over there." Nate tells her and Jason nods his head in agreement.

"I don't think I can do it." Mitchie stammers slightly.

"You know he is going to talk to you otherwise. We all know there will be questions out there aimed at your and Shane's relationship." Nate reasons.

She knew he was right, takes a deep breath and just walks over to Shane and Danny. Trying to walk over calmly, Mitchie managed to keep her composure, puts a smile on her face and lets out an enthusiastic 'good morning' to the both of them.

Feeling Shane's eyes on her, she wants nothing more to scream in frustration and just to break down in tears. But she doesn't, welcomes Danny's firm handshake as he greets her. He would be impressed that she was professional enough to approach the two of them on her own. And that's what she was really, a professional.

"Mitchie, i'm so glad you came over. I was just talking to Shane about 'Skyscraper' and how it has gone Gold in sales already. We are all so impressed at how well it's doing."

"I'm impressed at how well it's doing." She laughs and makes a mental note that at some point maybe her career could venture into her acting one day. Quite frankly, she doesn't know how she isn't in a pool of tears on the floor right now.

"I am glad actually that I have the two of you alone." Danny begins, lowering his voice slightly. Mitchie knows it's coming and she doesn't dare glance at Shane besides her, doesn't even dare try and look out her peripheral vision at him. His presence next to her was simply enough, she could feel him all over her and it took everything so remain composed. "You both know that there will be questions directed at the nature of your relationship when you're out there."

"Of course." Shane comments and she holds her breath for a moment and still doesn't let her eyes look his way.

"I just want the two of you to assure the media you're both professional enough to tour together, that you're on good terms and friends just like you were the first year you spent together at Camp Rock."

"No problem at all." Mitchie says, sounding not as confident as she intended to.

"We're fine, Danny. We really are." Shane adds on and Mitchie has no clue if Danny actually believes that or not.

"This tour cannot be successful if the two of you can't work together. Your fans aren't going to want to buy tickets to a show if you are both not giving a hundred per cent on stage. You can't let the fact that you are no longer dating affect what happens on the stage. I've got to go check in with your publicist actually Shane, so I want the two of you to be prepared with the answers to the questions you know are coming."

Just like that, he was heading across the room leaving the two of them on their own. Whether it was on purpose or not, Mitchie did not know. She did know however that the details of their relationship were unclear to him, nor did he know why she broke up.

"You've lost weight." Shane says softly after a moment of awkward silence.

Finally, Mitchie turns to look at him expecting to see that familiar concerned look in his eyes. But there weren't there. His eyes were quite vacant and his face showed no emotion at all. A complete and utter poker face.

Really, she has no clue how to respond to his comment. Sure, she had lost some more weight but she wasn't purging anymore. There had only been a rare few occasions lately but there was no way she could even broach that subject with him.

"How are we going to do this?" She manages unable to process how they once essentially ruled the world together and now it was like they were strangers.

"I think we both know what has to be said...let's just wing it." He answers, doesn't let her say otherwise and indicates he needs to go to the bathroom.

"I love you." Mitchie mumbles rather pathetically to herself, watching him walk away and taking every piece of her with every step he took.

**Where do you think things are gonna go?**

**The title of this story is actually song lyrics from a song called I'm Not Dead by Pink. Check it out. **

**xox**


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

Mitchie is a bundle of nerves as she is waiting with the boys to be announced for their press conference.

True to his word, Nate is standing in the middle of Shane and her with Jason at the other end.

Nate reaches for her hand and squeezes it tightly and gives her an encouraging smile. Danny is lingering, taking to some suits and she's trying hard to remain calm. He notices the two of them there and indicates with his hands for them to switch places.

Mitchie knows she can't object, he clearly doesn't want the media to think that she and Shane cannot so much as sit next to each other. Although really, maybe people will buy tickets to see the awkwardness on stage with them singing love songs together.

Sighing, Nate moves to swap with her and Mitchie is just glad that Shane is so caught up in conversation with Jason to notice that Danny purposely wants them in this order.

Soon enough they are announced onto the small makeshift stage and Mitchie waves and smiles at all the media reporters seated in the audience. There's a long table with glasses of water on it and four chairs with a microphone for each of them.

She sits down at the chair between Nate and Shane and she feels like she could be sick.

"Thank you for joining us, hit us with your questions." Jason starts things off.

They are hit with the normal questions and Mitchie is trying her best to focus, but it's so unnerving with Shane seated right besides her. She breathes in and out rather heavily a few times, digs her fingernails into her legs slightly.

"My question is for Mitchie," A reporter down the front says, snaps her out of her thoughts, "You have come a long way in the past couple years. You are now a superstar with a couple hit albums. How does it feel to suddenly be one of the biggest upcoming female artists in the world?"

Mitchie laughs and bites her bottom lip before answering, "It's kind of crazy to hear someone saying that about me. I don't see it that way at all even though I've been so successful lately. I work hard and I feel like it's honestly all still so surreal."

"When do you get time to yourself? You do work hard and you seem to just keep going non-stop."

"I try and just make time for everyone when I am home. I make sure to schedule things around my family and friend whenever I can. All i've done for a year and a half now is just tour, tour, tour. It honestly is exhausting but I always make time for myself otherwise I think i'd go crazy."

The second the fake blonde and extremely fake tanned reporter raises her hand to be next to ask something, is when Mitchie knows the dreaded question is coming.

"Shane, how do you feel about touring with your ex girlfriend?"

It's so incredibly blunt. Much more than what Mitchie thought any normal human being could be. All she can do is look at Shane finally, holding her breath and waiting to see what he comes out with.

"I honestly haven't thought about it too much," He chuckles to himself. What he finds funny in the situation, Mitchie does not know, "It's going to be fine because when you're friends with someone for so long, the fact that you dated and it doesn't work out isn't a major problem because you fall back into that initial friendship. Mitchie and I were best friends before our relationship turned into a romantic one and she will always be my best friend. I'm excited to be able to tour with her again."

Mitchie smiles and nods in agreement, it was simply like a contest. It was becoming a contest of who could act like everything was completely fine, who was doing better. Shane recited his answer like it was the national anthem.

"Us singing love songs on stage every night will be pretty hilarious to watch. So I hope our European fans are ready." Mitchie laughs, ensuing laughs from the reporters. They think she's joking to make light of the situation but really it's sort of the truth.

"I am fairly sure we will exceed everyone's expectations if they are coming to watch us be awkward." Shane jokes turning to Mitchie with a fake smile plastered on his face. She knows him so well that it's not even funny, yet she has to laugh at his joke. Go along with things because that's their job. Here she was completely and utterly heartbroken and she has to work with her ex boyfriend in front of the world's prying eyes. It was like it was some sort of a sick joke.

"Maybe we should just be awkward so we don't let everyone down." She banters, playfully pushes him on the shoulder knowing that the reporters will be eating this up.

The questions are wrapped up about twenty minutes later and the four of them are ushered up to pose for photos. She feels Nate and Shane instantly put their hands on her back from either side of her. Feeling Shane's hand on her makes her heart skip a beat as she puts the most fake smile she can muster on her face.

By the time they are finished and in private again, Shane's demeanour completely changes back to how it was before. Stone cold.

"I think you forget Shane that I know you. I know you more than you think I do." Mitchie says quite adamantly, not caring that Jason and Nate are there.

He looks at her, with that vacant expressionless look again and Mitchie just wants to hit him. She just wants to yell at him. Scream at him.

"Let's just try and be civil Mitchie for the sake of this tour. I sure hope you can stay on it because there are a lot of people counting on you and not to mention your fans."

"Do you really think i'd pull out of this tour even though you haven't been speaking to me?" She fires back at him. Nate and Jason's eyes are on her and they don't budge an inch.

"No, I thought you'd pull out of the tour to deal with your issues."

It stings but she shakes it off, "I'm managing at the moment."

"But you're not dealing with them." He retorts, shaking his head, "I can't do this Mitchie. I really can't right now."

By this point, she has no clue how she has held back her tears, "You don't get to say out there how we are best friends and are in such a great place when you're like this behind closed doors."

"I do, because it's the job. It's what we do and forgive me if I don't want to badmouth you in front of the media." He's getting angry and in some stupid twisted way this pleases Mitchie.

"You broke my heart."

Shane pauses for a moment and looks her in the eyes suddenly with such sadness, "And you broke mine."

She closes her eyes and feels Nate's arms around her a moment later, whispers in her ear, "Come on, i'll take you home."

…

Arriving back to her apartment, she is shocked to see Hayley on the couch with Caitlyn. She hasn't seen Hayley in quite some time, Hayley had messaged her a fair bit but Mitchie had been so busy and they hasn't worked out a time to see each other lately.

Instantly she rushes over to her, and hugs her tightly, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too Mitchie. How are you holding up?"

"I'd be lying is I said I was fine." She admits, sits down besides her.

"Well, I actually came here today to tell you and Caitlyn something that will hopefully bring a smile to your face."

"Tell us already! I'm dying here!" Caitlyn exclaims. She must have been waiting a while already and Mitchie is quite intrigued as to what the news could be.

"Well...i'm pregnant."

"OH MY GOD!" Mitchie and Caitlyn both scream in unison, both launching themselves on Hayley to hug her.

"I am only a couple months along but Jason and I thought you should both know."

Mitchie feels elated for the first time in a long time, she actually feels happy and cannot believe that Hayley is actually pregnant, "I am so incredibly happy for you!" She gushes.

"Jase and I don't want to go public with the news for another couple months understandably. But you two mean so much to me and I wanted you to know."

Mitchie is touched, because quite honestly she looked up to Hayley as if she were an older sister. This was such wonderful news to hear and the thought of Shane leaves her head for a little while as she basks in Hayley's happiness.

…

Walking into their first full dress rehearsal for tour, Mitchie has an array of feelings that have been building up inside of her. Shane and her had not rehearsed together yet and this would be the first time doing so in front of the entire label.

Carrie and Caitlyn are waiting for her in wardrobe, already in their outfits, stretching to prepare themselves to dance.

"How do I do this?" Mitchie asks aimlessly, zipping up the dress she's wearing for the stage.

"You go out there and you do what you do best. You absolutely destroy that pretty boy with your killer vocals." Carrie responds without skipping a beat, gets up and holds Mitchie's hands, "You've got this."

Mitchie lets out a small laugh, "Okay, I better warm up my vocals then. I am going to show all the suits out there from the label who the better artist is."

"We are going to nail your set," Caitlyn assures her, "And sure you have to go out there during his set to sing a couple songs. But you have the voice that is taking over the world. Not to be biased, but Nate is the one in that band with the voice. Shane is the frontman who can simply carry a tune and who looks pretty. You can out-sing Shane by a mile."

Mitchie knows Caitlyn is just trying to make her feel better but she appreciates it.

"Well let's hike your dress up a bit to make it shorter. Show Shane exactly what he is missing." Carrie tells her with a chuckle.

Going out on the makeshift stage that has been set up, Mitchie can see all the suits chatting amongst themselves until her music starts. Sitting there in the front are all of Connect 3's band including Nate and Jason. Shane wasn't there but she knew he'd be watching, probably from the back. Really, she is going to use that as fuel to blow everyone's minds. To show everyone in that room why she deserved to be where she was.

She nails her entire set and receives a huge round of applause from everyone. It feels good, it feels really good. The second she's off the stage Brown and Danny approach her.

"You're my superstar." Danny compliments her, "That is how you do it! You are well on your way to becoming the next Mariah Carey or Celine Dion."

Really, it's probably the biggest compliment she could ever receive and coming from the president of her label makes it even that much more amazing.

"Love, you amaze me more and more with every performance."

"Thanks Uncle Brown." Mitchie beams but soon regrets calling him 'Uncle'. She had started referring to him as that whilst dating Shane. It just felt right. Now however, it just seemed inappropriate.

By the time Connect 3 begin their set, she heads back to wardrobe to change into her second dress to perform in. She had made sure to choose a tight black dress that had three quarters sleeves with some bling on the shoulders. It probably was more suited for a club but she was coming back on for two songs and hell, she wanted to look smashing in front of Shane.

She couldn't look at herself in the mirror because of how tight the dress was, how it clung to her. But she knew it would drive Shane crazy. Putting some heels on, Mitchie touches up her lipstick before heading back out to the stage to wait for her cue.

The second she steps out and all the male stage-hands see her, she knows the dress has done its job.

It pains her when she hears the music to 'Gotta Find You' begin. Standing to the side of the stage with a microphone clutched in her hand, she has to focus on breathing steadily. It takes her back to that very first time at Camp Rock when Shane sang this to her, the song he wrote for her.

She watches him sing in and she's not sure how he is able to so easily compose himself singing it. How he can hold back all the emotion from the song when it meant so much to them.

The instance the music for 'This Is Me' begins, Mitchie steps out confidently onto the stage making sure to keep her balance in her heels as she struts centre-stage. Shane's back is towards her and she makes her way down the catwalk a little for the first chorus.

By the time the next verse hits, she turns around to head back to the main stage and Shane is standing there staring at her with his mouth open. Ignoring him with a smile on her face she heads over to Nate on the other side of the stage completely.

When it comes to the bridge, Shane meets her at the catwalk to sing his part of the song. His eyes are transfixed on her and it's such a great feeling. As the song comes to an end, she beams at everyone watching even though she can feel Shane's eyes on her still.

The music to 'Wouldn't Change A Thing' begins and Mitchie knows that emotionally speaking, that this would be hard to sing with him. Somehow getting through it she turns to leave the stage and can feel Shane's eyes staring at her arse.

It's later on as she's getting changed to leave that there's a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She yells out as she's standing in just a high-waisted skirt with a bra.

"It's Shane."

"Come in." She calls out, biting her bottom lip to suppress a grin.

The second Shane enters the room his eyes are flickering down at her bra and mentally Mitchie thanks the lord that she decided to wear a lacy black one that morning when she got dressed.

"I just wanted to let you know that everyone was ecstatic with our duets. They think we are going to give the crowds their money's worth." He tells her, clearly distracted.

She grabs her blouse, slipping it on and makes sure to take her time doing the buttons up, "Well, we are professionals aren't we?" She questions him with a certain dryness to her voice.

"Stop that."

"What?" She plays dumb, does up her last button.

"You know what." 

"I really don't know, Shane. I am just trying to get dressed and get out of here." She feigns innocence, walks past him to find her handbag, "It's not like you haven't seen this before."

She feels him grab her by the elbow to stop her and it's like her heart stops for just a second. She cannot bear to turn around and look him in the eyes, "You don't get to touch me anymore."

"I can do what I want." He breathes in her ear and Mitchie turns around defiantly, looks him in the eyes.

"Stop playing these games with me."

"I think you're the one playing games, Mitchie. Wearing that dress on stage, standing here in a bra."

"It's not my fault that you can't control yourself," She quips, "And i'm not even the one with the purity ring...oh wait."

Before she can process it, Shane has her against the wall, has her wrists pinned above her head with his hands, his face mere centimetres from hers.

"Don't." He says rather firmly. His eyes burning into hers.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that I have ownership of your purity ring and also your virginity." When she says it, she feels good. She feels so god damn good. There's some satisfaction finally.

His breathing slows down and he leans in slightly and Mitchie can feel his breath on hers, can practically taste him.

"Don't even go there." He breathes out, pulls away and lets go of his grip on her wrists, storms out the room.

Yes. Mitchie felt most confident with her outfit choices for tour.

…

Mitchie is saying goodbye to her parents before heading to LAX. They were jetting off to New York City for a performance on Good Morning America the following morning and then would be flying off to Europe from there.

"Mitchie, I can only imagine how it must feel to go off on tour with Shane. But you can do this, you really can." Her mum assures her, hugs her tightly.

"I just have to put a smile on my face whilst singing love songs with him in front of thousands. No big deal." Mitchie says lightly, tries to force out a laugh.

Arriving at JFK airport that afternoon with Caitlyn and Nate, it's a surprise to none of them that paparazzi are waiting.

"_Nate, where are your brothers?"_

"They're coming in a little later."

"_Mitchie, can you and Shane not even be on the same plane?"_

"_Mitchie, how do you and Shane plan on touring together?"_

"_Mitchie, why did Shane and you break up?"_

The questions are endless and she feels Nate wrap an arm around shoulder protectively. Caitlyn grabs her hand as the three of them make their way down to a van that's waiting for them a couple hundred metres away.

The flashes are going off and the questions are still being thrown at them and Mitchie wonders why these grown men can do this. Wonders what makes this okay? Because it's not okay.

"_Mitchie, is it true that Shane is dating Vanessa Roberts?"_

If it wasn't for Caitlyn and Nate leading her to the van, she would have halted on the spot.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

As soon as Mitchie is in the van, she's frantically googling on her phone and sure enough there's a photo of him with Vanessa from the night before. Opening the article she can barely breathe and Caitlyn has to grab her phone and read it out loud.

"Television actress Vanessa Roberts, the leading witch from the hit show 'Wicca', was seen last night with Connect 3 frontman Shane Gray. Shane, who separated from long time girlfriend Mitchie Torres a couple months ago, is about to head out on tour in Europe where Vanessa conveniently will be doing promo for the new season of her show. The two were seen out to dinner before going to the Coldplay concert last night at the Staples Centre. It seems a new relationship is blossoming and a couple name is in order."

She feels sick. Actually sick. The tears don't come, but she knows they will soon.

"Nate, did you know about this?" Caitlyn asks him.

"No, he has just gone out a few nights this past week. Said he was catching up with friends. The only night he's been captured by paparazzi was last night. He knows how to stay hidden when he wants to." Nate responds, pulls out his phone.

Mitchie tries to keep it together, she tries her best. She really does. How could he be seeing someone again so soon? How could he replace her? How could he do this to her after everything they went through? She's speechless. She feels betrayed.

"I'm going to call him, he's probably boarded his flight though." Nate announces and sure enough she can hear it go to his voice mail, "Shane, it's Nate. I was just reading an article online that you are dating some television show B-lister. If this is the case, can you please let me know? You know I don't want to take sides in this situation Shane, but Mitchie has a right to know the truth. We have just had to hear it from paparazzi."

Arriving at their Manhattan hotel almost an hour later, Mitchie meets Brown in the lobby who ushers her up to her room having already checked her in.

"Brown, I just need to be alone."

"Vanessa Roberts." He sighs, it's not a question. And he lets her be.

It doesn't take her long to collapse into bed and cry for what seems like hours.

...

She's all dolled up for Good Morning America the following morning and Connect 3 are taking the stage with her for a couple songs each, including 'Wouldn't Change A Thing' to wrap things up together.

It's on an ad break that they whisk them all of stage briefly for water and to fix their hair and make up. All of thirty seconds later Shane is standing there alone and she knows it's her chance as she hasn't had a second at all to speak to him.

Mitchie feels paralysed almost but makes herself march over to Shane to confront him. There would be no tears having shed too many all night long, she had to know from him directly. He owed her that much at the very least.

"Remember when you said I could ask you anything I wanted?" She asks rather bluntly, crossing her arms across her chest. It was the first time she has spoken to him after finding out about Vanessa the day before.

Shane blinks and studies her for just a moment, "Yes."

"Are you or are you not dating Vanessa Roberts?"

Just like that, it's out there in the open. All he can do now is answer honestly with the truth or otherwise lie to her.

"I don't feel like I need to discuss the nature of my relationship with Vanessa." Mitchie can tell he's said it more bitterly than he intended to. But that doesn't make it any better.

"So that's a yes...well I hope she makes you happy. We better go get on stage to sing that wonderful love song we wrote together." She remarks sarcastically, holds back the pain fully knowing it will hit her like a truck later on.

The second she's on the stage to perform again she waves to the fans, smiling widely. Nate is on the drums behind her, ready for the the last song and Jason is slightly behind her, guitar in hand.

The host walks on with Shane, meeting her in the middle of the stage. She wants to break down and cry. She wasn't good enough for him. He didn't want her. He couldn't even tell her that he had moved on.

"And we're back here live in Central Park with Connect 3 and Mitchie Torres who start their European tour in just a few days. To finish us off here this morning, we have one last song from them."

Mitchie won't even look at Shane as they perform the song together, focuses her energy on the cameras and the fans. It's painfully obvious that there's tension between them and the world would easily conclude what was going on.

She won't even look at him as the host comes between them to finish off the show. She simply stares down the camera and waves with a small smile on her face and the moment they stop, she marches off the stage and let's her new publicist Erica grab her and hoard her away into a big black van.

"People are tweeting already about it." Erica tells her, tucks a strand of her fiery orange hair behind her ear.

"I know." Mitchie responds and gazes out the window. It's sad really that people are thriving off this, that there are people online who get their kicks off this, off of her misfortune.

"Your fans want you and Shane back together, they don't like her and many want to boycott her television show."

Mitchie wants to be back together with Shane too, he didn't belong with that witch...figuratively speaking of course.

Arriving back at her hotel, there are fans waiting out the front all with her albums in their hands. She really isn't the mood but tells Erica she will stop. Placing her sunglasses on to cover her eyes, she steps out the van and the fans just line up for her, one after the other having her sign and take photos with her.

Saying goodbye, she lets Erica take her up to her room and collapses onto her bed and just cries for a really long time. It's hard to comprehend why she feels so destroyed, it's hard to understand why she let another human being become her world. Most of all, Mitchie wishes she never ever feels this way again, she never will put her heart on the line ever again.

It's not too long later she hears a knock at the door, knowing it's Caitlyn she calls her in.

"Hot Tunes showed your performance."

"I have no interest in Hot Tunes or any other media outlets these days." Mitchie admits, gets up to touch up her make up. She only realises now she hasn't eaten yet today, grabs a banana off the fruit basket on her table.

"You should watch it."

"I don't need to watch it Cailtyn, I already had to live it." She sighs, peels the banana slowly.

"It's just that...it's awkward. Very much so."

"Well forgive me I just found out the moment before from my ex that he is indeed seeing someone new and then had to sing a love song with him."

Caitlyn just stares at her sadly, "I'm so sorry, Mitch."

"Do you think she's prettier than me? She is certainly skinnier than me."

Caitlyn shakes her head, "Don't be stupid. I'm not even going to justify that with a response."

"Well why doesn't he want me then?" Mitchie's voice breaks as the words leave her mouth, she's sure it sounds childish because it wasn't something as simple as that. It was complicated.

"I know you love him Mitchie, but you need to do what's best for you. You need to just put everything aside whilst on stage and show the word that your voice, your lyrics, your dancing...show them all you're the real deal. That you're a superstar, because you are."

Mitchie gives her a small but grateful smile, "Can we find Hayley? Go do lunch together?"

They wind up in Little Italy, just the three of them, at a small little restaurant that serves the most delicious gnocchi Mitchie has ever tasted.

"I just cannot stop eating!" Hayley exclaims, grabbing the dessert menu, lowers her voice, "This baby has me so hungry all the time. Although my morning sickness has calmed down, so I can't complain."

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? Caitlyn asks her.

"A boy, but I think Jase is hoping for a little girl to spoil."

Mitchie smiles as her mind thinks away, how she thought she was pregnant. About how she thought Shane and her would be parents. He would have stayed with her had she been pregnant, he wanted to marry her. It feels ridiculous still to her...marriage, but she would have had him.

They do a bit of shopping after lunch and making their way back to the hotel paparazzi are there to greet them as well as fans. She begins to sign for her fans as the paparazzi shout things at her, she doesn't pay attention to them and listens to her fans instead.

It's the last fan there, a girl about her age, who gives her a hug and immediately starts crying, "I just want to tell you Mitchie that you are so brave for getting up there and performing alongside your ex. I just had my heart broken and can't imagine doing what you're doing. Thank you so much for your music, it's helping me so much."

"I'm so sorry to hear," Mitchie says softly to her, brings her into a hug to whisper in her ear, "I wish I had the words to help you feel better but I just don't right now because i'm heart broken too."

"Your fans love you you. Me more so than anyone." The girls whispers back.

"I love you too. Keep your chin up, we can both get through this." Mitchie tells her, pulls away.

"Stay strong." She tells Mitchie, gives her a smile.

"Stay strong." Mitchie smiles back before heading inside where Hayley and Caitlyn are waiting for her.

Helping Hayley with her shopping bags, Mitchie follows her into the hotel room. Jason is on the bed, playing around with some chords on his guitar.

"Hey girls." He greets Hayley with a kiss and takes the shopping bags off her.

"I'm exhausted!" She declares, collapses on the bed.

"Well you're pregnant." Jason laughs, amused.

Mitchie sets the shopping she's holding down on the table, "Maybe you should have a nap before we fly out tonight." She suggests, "I better start organising my things, i'll see you later."

As she turns to leave, she sees Jason get up to follow her, "I'll make sure you make it back to your room okay. You don't know what crazies may have found their way up here." He tries to laugh.

It's awkward to say the least, the walk down the hallway to her room. Mitchie knows Jason wants to say something and that's why he's walking her back, but he doesn't speak until they get to her room. He hadn't really had much to do with her since the break up, under any other circumstance this would have hurt Mitchie but she was hurting too much to even be affected at this point.

"I know I haven't really been around since you and Shane broke up." There it was, out in the open just like that "But I want you to know Mitchie it's just a hard situation to be put in. He's my brother and all."

"Jason, it's fine. I understand." She truly does, gives him a weak smile.

"He's spoken a lot to me a lot about things and I know he's really hurt and I don't really want to say anything to betray his trust. Just don't put me in that position because I don't want things to be weird between us."

Mitchie nods, gives him a hug and tells him she will see him on their flight later that night.

…

Arriving at the airport in two vans, Mitchie is whisked inside by Uncle Brown alongside Caitlyn, Carrie and her band.

She can hear the chaos that is Connect 3 behind her near their own van and she can hear the questions being shouted about Shane's new girlfriend.

"I still can't believe you had to find out from paparazzi that he was seeing someone. I really am disappointed in him." Carrie shakes her head, Brown hears this and gives Mitchie a look implying they will talk later.

Once they are all checked in and through immigration, they are whisked off to a private lounge with food and drinks waiting for them. Mitchie instantly heads into the small private bathroom down the hallway and splashes some water on her face. The second that she goes to leave Brown comes bursting in, shoving Shane in.

"Brown..." Mitchie trails off confused.

"Uncle Brown, you're not my father."

"Well right now Shane, i'm the closest thing you'll have to it on tour. You owe Mitchie one hell of an explanation"

Mitchie is frozen to the spot, she opens her mouth but no words come out. Shane looks angry and is ready to lash out at his uncle but it seems that the blood-relation factor is the only thing holding him back.

"I'm twenty-one, i'm not some little school boy." Shane defends, goes to leave the bathroom.

Brown steps in front of the door blocking his way, "Shane, you need to remember how to treat women with respect. I know your break up is painful and messy and I can only imagine what it's like to have to work together now in front of the world. But I just found out tonight that Mitchie heard from the paparazzi you were dating someone new and not from you!"

Mitchie knows Brown is mad and Shane goes to challenge him but backs off seeing how angry he looks, "Uncle Brown, you can only imagine. That's exactly right." He sounds defeated and he hasn't even looked at Mitchie yet.

"But I know your parents brought you up better than this. You owe Mitchie more than that, regardless of what happened between the two of you." There's a momentary silence before he speaks again, "I'm going to be outside in the hallway, I expect you to talk to her." 

"Are you doing this because you're managing her?"

"No Shane, i'm doing this because she's like a niece to me."

Mitchie is elated by his words, mouths him a 'thank you'. The room is silent as Uncle Brown leaves, closing the door firmly behind him. Shane finally turns to look at her and she feels her heart skip a beat.

He still positively was the most gorgeous thing ever.

He just now belonged to someone else.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

"Vanessa and I are together." Shane breathes out a moment later.

It takes everything in Mitchie not to cry on the spot, to not break down, once upon a time she could cry and he'd take her in his arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself, I just didn't want to hurt you."

"That's just ridiculous Shane, you don't think finding out from the paparazzi would hurt a thousand times more?" She stares him down, folds her arms across her chest, "How would you feel if the tables were turned?"

It doesn't take him long to reply, "Pretty horrible...I really am sorry. I didn't think it through clearly."

"Does she make you happy? The words leave Mitchie's mouth before she has even processed them.

"Mitch, don't." He sighs, "I don't think it's fair for me to disclose the nature of my relationship with her."

"How is any of this fair for me?

"Mitchie, you can't victimise yourself here. We both know why we broke up and we need to get through this tour together."

"Were you disappointed that I wasn't pregnant?" The tears start to flow as she asks him and he closes the space between them and places his hands on her shoulders.

"A little bit...yes, but that doesn't change anything Mitchie because you're not pregnant."

"You would have been a good father." He closes his eyes as she says it and she knows she's hitting him hard, that it was a sensitive topic, "A baby doesn't seem to be the scariest thing in the world to me right now." This was true, she was living the scariest thing by not having Shane anymore, "A little bundle with your eyes and your smile."

"Mitchie, don't..." He shakes his head and opens his eyes again. She's crying a little bit and wipes her tears away.

"I love you." She breathes out.

He takes her in his arms as she cries, but instantly she knows it's not the same, he's not holding her how he used to. He's distant even though physically he's close.

"I know...but you have issues to sort out and I can only do so much to help you if you won't help yourself."

She lets a sob escape her lips because here's this boy she loves and he's holding her, yet he won't be with her. It feels like the longest time before Shane lets go of her, "Can we just get through this tour? Can we just somehow be okay and put everything aside?" She pleads, "Try and be friends?"

He nods and all she can do is nod back at him. Her heart was breaking but there was nothing she could do. He was no longer hers.

Onboard the plane, she's seated next to Brown and really all she wants is to sleep the whole flight to London. A month or so in Europe under normal circumstances would be a dream but she really doesn't know how she will get through it.

Glancing over the aisle, Caitlyn and Nate are seated together already rugged up and ready for the flight. She smiles at the way Nate looks at Caitlyn, the way his eyes light up looking at her.

She wishes Shane would still look at her like that.

…

By the time they've made their transfer and have landed in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Mitchie is ready to sleep for eternity. As soon as she has stepped off the plane, she is in a van on the way to their hotel.

Hayley is next to her and was using Mitchie's shoulder as a pillow and Mitchie is fighting off sleep the best she can so she doesn't have to wake up again so soon. Pulling up to the hotel, there are a small bunch of fans waiting out the front. How they knew the hotel already when Mitchie herself didn't, she'd never know. So she stops briefly, she sees Nate and Shane have as well to sign for them all. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Jason lead Hayley straight inside, she needed her rest and he was so protective of her these days.

By the time Mitchie is lead up into her room, she falls asleep the moment her head hits her pillow.

…

Mitchie knows better to go on Hot Tunes and read the gossip. But she cannot help herself looking up Vanessa Roberts on their site and sees she's filming in a couple weeks in Italy currently for her television show. Mitchie knows this means she is going to meet her, that she will attend their shows in Italy. And she doesn't quite know what to do with that, how to process it. How she's supposed to exchange pleasantries with the girl who had the man she loved.

Arriving at the venue for soundcheck, Mitchie honestly is excited that she gets to take the stage again and especially for a country she's never been to before. Being lead to her dressing room with Caitlyn, she is elated to find Carrie already in there ready to go for the evening.

"I feel like I haven't seen you two in forever!" She exclaims, brings them both into a big hug.

"Gosh Carrie, it was just a timezone change." Caitlyn laughs.

"This is going to be pretty amazing though. I mean we are in Europe!"

Mitchie is still trying to process it herself. People loved her, loved her music. People overseas none the less, in countries she used to only dream of being able to visit one day.

Soundcheck is longer than normal and Mitchie isn't impressed when the tour manager wants Shane and her to soundcheck This Is Me and Wouldn't Change A Thing. Shane gives her a small smile taking the stage, they hadn't spoken since their exchange at the airport the day before.

He surprises her, gives her a high five when they're done. He's trying and really she's not so sure it's any better. Pretending is just going to hurt more at this stage.

By the time show is about to start, she's a bundle of nerves. She can hear the screaming crowd and knows that there will be multiple cameras capturing her exchange with Shane, the world would be dying to see them interact together.

She nails her set, finishes off with 'Skyscraper' and the crowd just eats it up. She pulls her ear pieces out as she waves goodbye to hear them screaming her name. She's speechless, just in complete awe.

This is what made her happy, it was what she was born to do.

When Connect 3 takes the stage, Carrie helps her change into her other dress and touches up her make-up for her.

When she gets her ten minute call to go side-stage, she's possibly the most nervous she's ever been. They both knew they had to lift their game and not have a repeat performance of Good Morning America.

She hears her cue and is loaded up on the riser to take the stage again for 'This Is Me'. Jason is the one who announces her on stage and it throws her off slightly because Shane used to be the one who did this.

The flashes hit her instantly and the second she begins to sing, the screams become deafening. She heads front and centre and walks straight past Shane and feels his eyes on her. When she gets to the bridge of the song, Shane meets her at the catwalk and she makes sure to look at him whilst singing with a huge smile on her face. He looks right back at her, sings back the lyrics he wrote for her and they head down to the end of the catwalk.

They sing the final notes of the song together and she knows they have done a good job.

"What do you think, Mitchie? Do you think we should play them all another song together?"

Mitchie wants to laugh at that voice he reserved for on stage and she really wishes things could be how they used to be, that they'd hold hands at the end of the song just like when they first ever sung together.

"I don't know, are you guys ready for more?" She asks them.

Their screams almost deafen her so much that she almost misses the cue in her earpieces for Wouldn't Change A Thing.

They are confined to the end of the catwalk for this song so there isn't much room for them to move around and Mitchie doesn't know how this is going to go, pouring her heart out to him in a love song they wrote together.

They're interactive with each other throughout the song and when it comes to the end of the song Mitchie cannot help herself. She wraps her arms around Shane in a hug because she knows he can't turn her down in front of thousands of their fans.

He returns the hug instantly and she takes him in for just a moment, as she knows she won't get to do this anywhere but on the stage anymore. She soaks him up, tries to hold on as long as possible.

"Give it up for Mitchie Torres!" Shane exclaims as she lets go of him. With a huge smile on her face she waves at the crowd one last time for the night before making her way offstage.

Caitlyn is waiting for her and tells her how much of a professional she is, envelops her in a huge hug. Their fans would be happy, the media however probably would be disappointed that there was no tension.

By the time she's back in the hotel, Mitchie feels alone. Just really alone.

The jet lag has her wide awake and so she goes on Twitter and replies to fans for a couple hours, their words help her finally drift off into a peaceful sleep.

…

The following morning, Mitchie is waking up early for a boat ride in the canals of Amsterdam. It's positively breathtaking and although the boys are there as well, she doesn't pay attention to Shane.

She soaks up the atmosphere and takes what seems like hundreds of photos. Amsterdam was positively beautiful.

By lunchtime, she's starving. Caitlyn, Hayley and she go off for lunch on their own. Practically on their own, Jason insisted their bodyguard follow Hayley. It feels good to be so at ease with the two of them, to be able to just laugh together.

"You and Shane seemed more at ease on the stage last night." Hayley comments as they head back to the hotel after sight-seeing all afternoon.

"I'm still heartbroken and for the world to know that and still see me on stage with him singing love songs...I don't know if that's really being at ease. Acting more than anything."

"Jason said we will meet Vanessa at the first show in Italy." Hayley admits, "He doesn't really know much about how the two of them are going. Shane doesn't speak about her, he's very private about it."

"Nate can't seem to get anything out of him." Caitlyn adds.

Mitchie doesn't know how to take that, it was one thing for Shane to be private about it when it came to the media but it was another thing completely for him to be private about her when it came to his own brothers.

...

It's the following morning that they're about to board a flight to Brussels, Belgium, it's only a 45 minute flight which is really the best news Mitchie could learn ay 6am. She was ready to get to their next stop on tour and nap for a couple hours before having to be at the venue for their show that night.

Shane is sitting on the other side of the room on his phone and Mitchie is just watching him, studying him intently. She was doing much better in regards to food, she still wasn't purging again. She was slowly working her way through it still, Caitlyn had to remind her to eat a lot still, her head was just so caught up in Shane.

It's when Shane's phone starts to ring that breaks Mitchie from her thoughts and instantly she knows who it is on the other end of his phone.

"Hey babe." Shane answers and honestly, Mitchie just wants to disappear from the room.

What she wouldn't give for him to be calling her 'babe' again.

**I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. :)**

**Xox**


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

After performing in Frankfurt, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic, Mitchie cannot help but feel a bit more at ease. Somewhat happy even.

Caitlyn, Carrie and her were out on a bike ride accompanied by a bodyguard getting to see more of Prague following their show the previous night.

She was a bit hungover, having gone out with Carrie afterwards but she was feeling alright. She was feeling okay. Good even.

"I don't want to be the one to say it Mitchie, but there's only one more show until we have to meet...her." Caitlyn can't even bring herself to say the name...Vanessa. Caitlyn was a realist and so was Mitchie, this is why they were best friends and got along so well. She wasn't going to sugarcoat the fact that it was happening. Because it was real no matter how much Mitchie didn't want it to be.

"I know and I guess that i'll just have to deal with it when it comes in four night's time." Mitchie replies, tries not to let her voice quaver.

"I heard Shane on the phone with her last night before we went on stage." Carrie admits.

Mitchie pauses for a moment as the wind blows through her hair, she pedals harder.

"What did he say?" Caitlyn finally manages as they come to a stop at the back entrance of their hotel.

"He said he couldn't wait to see her again, couldn't wait for her to see him do what he loves."

Mitchie tries her best to push the thought out of her mind that she used to be what Shane loved, she attempts to remain calm and collected on the surface because on the inside she simply wanted to fall apart.

By the time she's up in her room, Mitchie just wants to be left alone for the night and orders room service. After calling her mother and chatting for a good hour, she draws herself a bath and starts writing down lyrics on a hotel notepad. She'd been working on them for a while but couldn't get the whole song together still.

_'It's probably what's best for you,  
I only want the best for you  
And if I'm not the best then you're stuck_

_I tried to sever ties and I  
Ended up with wounds to bind  
Like you're pouring salt in my cuts_

_And I just ran out of band-aids  
I don't even know where to start  
'Cause you can bandage the damage  
You never really can fix a heart'_

The words are raw, they're just so deep, so much so Mitchie has to put the notepad down and take a break.

Stepping out of the tub a good half an hour later, she wraps a towel of herself and heads out of the bathroom to find Shane sitting there on her bed. Her heart skips a beat and she suddenly feels like she can't breathe. His warm brown eyes find her own and she sees them scan down to her very wet and barely covered body.

"Shane, what are you doing here?" She stammers slightly, clutches her towel tighter so it can't fall down.

"I just thought i'd come talk to you about Milan..." He trails off, distracted by her lack of clothes and it makes Mitchie feel good. She knows he still finds her physically attractive.

"I know what Milan means." She states a tad harsher than what she intended to, "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Uncle Brown." He swallows, his eyes flickering down once more.

And it makes sense that Brown sent him in and really Mitchie cannot help but be a tad grateful. Here she was naked inside a hotel room in Europe with her ex boyfriend who she was still in love with. She wouldn't even give a crap if she'd try and take advantage of the situation, she wouldn't even care if her behaviour wasn't appropriate.

"Well your timing is impeccable." Mitchie changes her tone, slowly unwraps her towel and Shane's jaw almost drops to the floor and she cannot help but smile inside, "Oh Shane, it's not like you haven't seen me naked before." She purrs.

"I don't think..." He cannot even finish his sentence as Mitchie crosses the room to grab a bathrobe and slowly slips it on but leaves it undone.

Just for a moment, Mitchie feels sexy, she feels confident, "You don't think what?" She asks with a small smug smile on her face.

Shane can't take his eyes off her as she sits down besides him, most of her body exposed to him her arm up against his.

"I don't think that...umm...Nate knows where I am." Mitchie knows that this isn't what he was going to say, smiles at him and bites her bottom lip.

"I think that you weren't actually going to say that." Her voice is low and she places her hand on his thigh.

"I can't believe we will be in Austria performing tomorrow." He changes the subject, jumps up off the bed.

She's quick on her feet, grabs the collar of his shirt with her hands, "I can't believe you haven't thrown me down on this bed yet." She breathes out, her eyes searching is.

And for just a moment she believes he is going to storm out, that he will push her away and leave. But he doesn't, his eyes stare deep into hers and she's completely intoxicated by him.

Just like that, her robe is on the floor and he has shoved her against the wall, his lips attacking her own. She's missed how he tastes, missed his touch. A part of her knows that seducing him this way was wrong, but a bigger part of her loved him too much to care.

Their tongues battle for dominance and Shane directs her to the bed as Mitchie unbuttons his shirt and slides it off him. She's swept off her feet and lands on the bed, Shane's lips never leaving hers. He has a hand on her breast, the other inside her thigh and she has this absolute desire to have him right then and there. This was familiar, she was at home.

He's hard against her and she mentally relishes in that fact, reaches down and undoes his belt buckle, unbuttons his jeans. He moans into her mouth, his hand reaching the top of her thigh and she inhales rapidly feeling a couple digits slip inside.

His mouth is at her neck and she knows he will leave a mark but Mitchie doesn't even care, doesn't even care that Shane is cheating right now even though it's against all her morals and beliefs.

By the time Shane's tongue is wrapped around her nipple, she is ready to explode, cannot wait any longer.

"Shane." She pleads rather breathlessly.

And just like that, he stops. Like her saying his name has snapped him out of a trance. Knowing what's going to happen, Mitchie seizes her chance and flips him over and climbs on top of him, mounting him to pin his body down.

Whilst she knows she still can, she kisses him, just really kisses him as if she never will again.

"Mitchie, we can't." He breathes out, pulls away and looks her in the eyes. And Mitchie know she should stop, she knows she cannot continue. But she does, plants a trail of kisses down his neck to his chest.

Shane is moaning underneath her so she just keeps going until she reaches the hem of his jeans, unzips them. Before she can process it, Shane has her wrists in his hands to stop her.

"We can't." He repeats, breathing heavily.

"You want me. I can feel how much you want me right now through your jeans." His grip does't loosen and he sits upright beneath her. His eyes stare right into her, only flickering down for a split second to look at her.

"This is wrong." He defies her, slides out from beneath her and locates his shirt strewn on the floor.

And Mitchie is sitting on the bed completely naked and vulnerable and before a tear can even fall on her cheek, Shane is gone with a slam of the hotel door.

She breaks down, curls into a ball and tries to stop a panic attack from presenting itself. And she lays there for what seems eternity, tries her best to steady her breathing until she finally falls asleep.

…

All of the crew and bands can feel the tension the following night in Vienna, Austria. Somehow Shane has managed to not even be in the same room with her, she hasn't even caught a single glimpse of him.

She's sure the tour manager has their orders from him and it infuriates Mitchie, absolutely drives her mad. Mitchie Torres was much more than Connect 3's opening act.

Some stage hand has ushered her into her dressing room telling Mitchie she better start getting ready and she knows for a fact she has plenty of time.

"Alright, alright, I will go get ready." She relents.

Caitlyn and Carrie are in the dressing room already and Mitchie can see it in their faces that they know something is up. As soon as the door is shut behind her they demand for her to spill.

"What's happened?"

"The tension is so thick out there that you could cut it with a knife." Caitlyn adds, "Nate texted me earlier, Shane is refusing to leave their dressing room. Said it reminds him of the diva days Shane used to have pre meeting you at Camp Rock."

Mitchie processes this, he wrote 'Gotta Find You' for her. He wrote it as he was inspired by her music. She helped set him straight again which in turn saved Connect 3's career.

"So what happened exactly?" Carrie questions her.

"Shane came to my room last night to remind me that...she was coming," Mitchie cannot bring herself to say the name out loud, "I had just been in the bathtub and may or may not have been wearing only a towel."

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn exclaims, a giant grin plastered on her face.

"And I may have dropped the towel to the ground in front of him."

"MITCHIE!" Carrie squeals.

"An opportunity presented itself and I know it was wrong...things may have escalated but Shane stopped us before things got too far."

"And that explains the tension." Carrie giggles, "Look at you go, using your assets."

"It's been so long since I kissed him but I still know in my heart that it was wrong."

"You can't keep doing this to yourself Mitchie." Caitlyn's voice lowers, "I know you still love him but what can you do now? I think you need to make peace with this so you can move on and be happy again."

It stings a lot, but ultimately Mitchie knows that Caitlyn is right, "I know, but it's Shane. He was my first love and I still love him. It's just going to take some time to get closure and I don't think it's possible whilst working together at the moment."

Her set goes by way too quickly, but soon enough she's about to be risen up onto the stage again for her duets with Shane. She can hear the introduction to 'Gotta Find You' and for some reason tonight she just starts crying.

A stage hand is there and tries to console her, hands her a tissue as Shane's voice fills up the arena.

It was the first song he ever wrote for her and she just wants to fall apart on the spot.

"_Every time I think I'm closer to the heart  
Of what it means to know just who I am  
I think I've finally found a better place to start  
But no one ever seems to understand_

_I need to try to get to where you are  
Could it be, you're not that far?_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head  
The reason that I'm singing  
I need to find you, I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need  
The song inside of me  
I need to find you, I gotta find you."_

Once she takes the stage, the audience are none the wiser that Mitchie has been crying her eyes out just minutes ago.

Shane acts like nothing has happened whilst singing with her, yet he cannot seem to look her direct in the eyes.

For some reason, Mitchie knows she won't be able to hug Shane again for at least a few shows. So she takes the opportunity. Holds him close at the end of their set because the new girlfriend would be front row at the very next concert.


	8. Chapter 8

I AM ALIVE!

I am so sorry for the major delay, my computer decided to kill itself a little bit and recovering everything was a bit of an issue but I will save you all the excuses and I promise to write back to all your messages when I can. I am rather swamped at the moment with life but will do my best. There are a couple dozen to get through and I have been so slack with this story and my messages this year.

It's a bit of a worry when readers thought I may have died haha.

Please read and enjoy. Xo

* * *

**Eight**

Mitchie is a bundle of nerves when their tour bus for Italy arrives in Milan. Hayley had decided to ride with the girls rather than in the Connect 3 bus with Jason overnight and Mitchie is thrilled. Jason was still a bit awkward with her so she was happy that Hayley was still able to get along fine with her.

"Mitchie, just to let you know that Jason was speaking to Shane last night. Vanessa has been filming the past few days in Rome and she's flying in tomorrow before the show. Then the plan is she will be in Paris with us after doing some promo in London with the rest of her cast." Hayley tells her as they get off the bus, the Connect 3 bus pulling up behind them.

It's a bit of relief to know she has one more night, just one more night before she has to face her. There's no way she can ignore her and not meet her, there's no way that this new woman in Shane's life could have a bad perception of her, nor would she let the media have a juicy story painting her out to be the jealous ex.

Hayley is starting to show a bit and Mitchie knows that she and Jason are going to have to make their pregnancy announcement soon. And it takes her back to that moment thinking she and Shane were pregnant, it takes her back to when she still had him.

It's a little later that night that she finds Nate at her door, a tub of ice-cream in his hand with spoons.

"I know sometimes touring you feel like a prisoner confined in a hotel room," He greets her with a kiss on the cheek, "Let's eat junk food and binge watch some trashy television show on Netflix."

"As long as it's not Vanessa's show." Mitchie laughs lightly, lets him inside.

"Caitlyn and Hayley are out sightseeing still with Jason and Shane is being Shane. Locked in his room."

"I'm nervous to meet her." Mitchie admits as they sit down and instantly start to demolish the tub.

"I know, but I will be there too meeting her for the first time. I'll be right there beside you."

"Thanks Nate. It's just all going to be awkward and Shane hasn't so much as spoken a word to me since our last show."

"He was being a bit of a diva in the dressing room. He brushed off Jason and I asking what was wrong. Did something happen?"

"Things got a bit heated between us in Prague. He stopped things escalating but he hasn't so much as been able to look me in the eyes since then." Mitchie explains.

Nate is calm and doesn't seem to shocked by this, hands her the tub of ice-cream, "Even in his play boy days before you, Shane never was the type to cheat. I have known him my whole life and our parents brought us up with values."

"May I point out that both you and Shane broke your promise and had sex before marriage? Jason is the golden child here." She tries to make light of the situation, as truth be told she did cause Shane to cheat on his girlfriend.

Nate chuckles, "Well rest assured that neither Caitlyn or I speak to my parents about our sex life. Although my dad did ask Shane about yours."

"What?"

"Shane's ring was gone, the media were going berserk and so dad outright asked him Shane told me. He said that you had his promise ring and that you were the one."

Mitchie wants to laugh and cry at the same time, "It seems like the whole world had a field day over that ring."

"Where is it?" He questions her.

"In my wallet, I had to stop wearing it around my neck. I couldn't do it anymore. But speaking of the media, I read an interesting article this morning that you are planning on eloping over here with Caitlyn. What truth is there to that story?"

He grins widely, "We are both very young still, Mitch. We've spoken about marriage and wouldn't consider it in the near future. Maybe a proposal in a few years or so but we have the rest of our lives and with this crazy lifestyle it makes our relationship that much harder, so time isn't the sole issue. Caitlyn didn't exactly sign up for this like you did."

"I know, relationships are complicated enough without the whole world watching. She tells me that she finds it very overwhelming sometimes but that she wouldn't change a thing because she loves you."

Nate pauses for a moment, the look on his face is a bit conflicted, "I didn't want to tell you...but Shane still loves you."

Mitchie's heart skips a beat, "Why do you say that?" Tries to steady her breathing.

"I hear him on the tour bus, saying your name in his sleep. I confronted him about it a few nights ago and he got a bit angry with me and it slipped out his mouth. I know the girls say you need closure to move on but I know for a fact he hasn't moved on. He still loves you, so don't give up hope. The two of you belong together."

"Nate," She objects, "I don't know if I can do this to myself. Leading him on was wrong, I made him cheat."

"It takes two to tango. He's my brother and I love him but you know I love you too and the both of you deserve happiness. You make him happy and he makes you happy."

"I wish it were as simple as that."

"Shane is stubborn Mitchie and he won't admit that not being with you is wrong. You need to fight for him. Screw Vanessa."

…

Arriving at the venue the following afternoon after some sightseeing, Mitchie feels like she is going to be sick. She spent an extra hour on her make up and hair that morning and chose her favourite outfit. She needed to look like an absolute blonde bombshell, someone who other girls would be jealous of.

She's quick to find Nate in the boy's dressing room, tells him she can't do this. That she can't see Vanessa and Shane together.

"Mitchie, you look hot. Much hotter than some girl on some silly television show." Nate consoles her as she does her best to hold back tears.

"Don't let Caitlyn hear that." She laughs, they had such a platonic relationship her and Nate. Nate was her rock.

"You can do this." He reassures her.

"What can she do?" Caitlyn asks bursting into the dressing room with Hayley.

"She can meet Vanessa." Nate clarifies as Hayley throws herself on the couch, holds her little bump.

"The witch has entered the building." Caitlyn advises, sitting beside Hayley.

Hayley bursts out laughing at the reference to the television show that Vanessa starred in, "Maybe she will cast a spell on you Mitchie and make you disappear."

Mitchie bursts out laughing at this, "I wish she could."

It's not too long later that Mitchie is given her five-minute call for soundcheck. She always did a few songs, followed by one of her duets with Shane and then Connect 3 did a few songs.

"Saved by the bell." Mitchie jumps up to her feet laughing.

A knock on the door a split second later means she hasn't been saved as the door opens up to reveal Shane accompanied by a beautiful brunette. None other than Vanessa Williams.

With no where to go, Mitchie knows she has to confront her now.

Vanessa was skinny, extremely skinny, with long legs and soft features. Blue eyes with short brown hair and pale skin.

"Hi everyone, this is Vanessa." Shane introduces her to them all and Mitchie's heart sinks just a little, sees his hand resting on the small of her back. It use to rest on hers.

"Hi guys." She smiles at them all, her voice sounded a little too fake for Mitchie's liking.

"This is Hayley, Jason's wife. Nate and his girlfriend Caitlyn," Shane goes on moving around the room until he gets to her, "And this is Mitchie."

Just Mitchie. Not his ex, not his friend, not his tourmate. Just Mitchie.

The instant that Vanessa's eyes lay on Mitchie's, she feel that all too familiar pain of heartbreak, "It's nice to meet you." She musters up politely.

"How's filming?" Nate asks, trying to break the tension in the room.

"It's wonderful, it's just so beautiful out here. I have the next few days off and then i'm back at it again for a week." Vanessa replies.

Mitchie is frozen to the spot and wants nothing more to run right pass Vanessa and out the room to go to soundcheck. But she can't move.

"Well I for one cannot wait to get on stage tonight." Caitlyn announces standing up, "Carrie and I have been working on some new choreography."

At this another announcement goes over the sound system, calling for Mitchie to come to soundcheck. And she is so incredibly thrilled, "I better run guys, I need to go belt out some notes."

Before anyone can say anything, she bolts out the dressing room and onto the stage. She is handed a microphone by a stagehand and the tour manager tells her they are going to run 'Remember December'.

She's onto 'Skyscraper' when she sees Shane, Nate and Vanessa slot into the front row to watch. And so Mitchie decides to bring it, absolutely belts out every note with everything inside of her and doesn't dare look down at her again.

Mitchie nails the final note of the song and progresses with 'Here We Go Again'. Nate jumps up on stage at the end to go over to the drum kit for 'This Is Me'. It's only then that Mitchie looks down and Vanessa looks bewildered, like she didn't actually expect that Mitchie could sing how she did.

"You killed it, Mitchie." The stage manager tells her as she grabs a bottle of water, "Better than your album."

"I try." She chuckles, takes a sip of water.

"Can we run 'Wouldn't Change a Thing' now?" He asks, prompting Shane to finally make his way up onto the stage.

And all Mitchie can do it nod her head and the music was already starting. There she was, singing the love song she wrote with her ex-boyfriend in front of his new girlfriend. She doesn't know how to feel about it, doesn't know whether she should laugh or cry.

By the time she's done she heads off to her dressing room and cries for a good ten minutes.

…

She's being wired up side stage just before she's due on. It took her longer than she thought to reapply her make up.

It's only a couple minutes later she thinks she will have to reapply again, Shane shows up hand in hand with Vanessa who tells her she wants to watch her set.

Mitchie gives her a weak smile and mentally wills herself not to cry and not to stare at their intertwined hands.

Thankfully she's whisked in to position only a couple moments later and she hears them both wish her good luck.

It's during her acoustic set she decides to change it up a little bit, "This a song I wrote one summer at Camp Rock with someone else you may know. It's never been performed before so I hope you like it." She tells the crowd, begins to strum the opening chords on her guitar, "It's called 'You're My Favourite Song'.

Knowing all too well that the crowd would instantly know Shane wrote this with her, she cannot help but smile. They would want a recorded version, Shane would be annoyed she played this without consulting him, but more importantly Vanessa wouldn't be too thrilled.

_"__Words don't come easy without a melody  
I'm always thinking in terms of do-re-mi  
I should be hiking, swimming, laughing with you  
Instead I'm all out of tune_

_But what you don't know  
You lift me off the ground  
You're inspiration, you helped me find myself  
Just like a baseline in half-time  
You hold down the groove  
That's why I'm counting on you_

_And if I heard you on the radio  
I'd never wanna change a single note  
It's what I'm trying to say all along  
You're my favorite song"_


End file.
